[Fraser was getting it. Fraser was getting it even without the threat of physical violence. Somehow Fraser could decipher the rambling about Stella and the wild gestures and the awkward shifts as something more than just a vague attempt at not making this a negative critique on his speech giving skills.
Despite their fall out and arguments and Ray's apprehension about hand holding and talk of kids and whatever else, Fraser was still willing to accept him for what he was without question and without even asking him to be someone else. It's not that Stella had ever tried to change Ray, not really, but there had been times where she'd tried to 'adjust' parts of him, to try and prevent him from doing some of the activities he loved, or try and get him doing more of the things she loved. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes Ray would avoid spending hours covered in grease and oil for the sake of her, and sometimes he would pick up activities she'd wanted; that's how they first started dancing, in fact. That was Ray's willingness to compromise. But Ray couldn't change who he was. He was a constant that couldn't be shaped even after years of marriage and a long standing relationship. Ray was Ray and it took a slightly unhinged Mountie to finally be the person to understand and accept that.
Maybe that's why they worked so well. Fraser accepted who and what Ray was and Ray accepted every bit of his friend in return. He dealt with the long stories, the constant corrections, the smugness and the politeness and the stubbornness and the perfection and the-- God, Fraser really was annoying, come to think of it, but Ray loved that about him. He loved that Benton got everyone else rolling their eyes while Ray could just sit through it all with a sort of ignorance like he'd managed to build up some defence against it all, not even allowing the ridiculousness offend him. Yeah, he could safely say he liked every bit of Fraser, even when the Mountie was pissing him off.
When the question of first dates arrives, Ray's mouth opens as he goes to answer, then snaps shut again as he sees the lifted hand. Probably for the best. He hadn't even considered the answer and had no idea what he would have said.
And okay, so maybe they had been on a few dates. A lot of dates. Maybe all those times they'd sat and scoffed pizza late at night, or the times they'd gone out to diners, or enjoyed one another's company on late night stakeouts... maybe they were all dates. They certainly would have been considered so by most if Ray had been doing so with a female. You go out to dinner with a female frequently for years and people assume you're dating. Do it with a partner, especially a Mountie, and they think you're just 'good friends'. So maybe they were more than good friends. Maybe.
But first dates did had traditions and conditions and Ray really should know Fraser's going to stick to never putting on on first dates. Of course he would. And-- wait, is he insinuating he wants to put out? That they both... That's more than the mere suggestion of a kiss. And yet isn't that a natural progression?]
So maybe this is more like a hundredth date or somethin'. I mean, we already done the wining and dining enough, right? We're all good in tradition's eyes, I reckon. We can kiss whatever way we want.
[Ray can play along with the suggestive game just fine, thank you.]
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Despite their fall out and arguments and Ray's apprehension about hand holding and talk of kids and whatever else, Fraser was still willing to accept him for what he was without question and without even asking him to be someone else. It's not that Stella had ever tried to change Ray, not really, but there had been times where she'd tried to 'adjust' parts of him, to try and prevent him from doing some of the activities he loved, or try and get him doing more of the things she loved. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes Ray would avoid spending hours covered in grease and oil for the sake of her, and sometimes he would pick up activities she'd wanted; that's how they first started dancing, in fact. That was Ray's willingness to compromise. But Ray couldn't change who he was. He was a constant that couldn't be shaped even after years of marriage and a long standing relationship. Ray was Ray and it took a slightly unhinged Mountie to finally be the person to understand and accept that.
Maybe that's why they worked so well. Fraser accepted who and what Ray was and Ray accepted every bit of his friend in return. He dealt with the long stories, the constant corrections, the smugness and the politeness and the stubbornness and the perfection and the-- God, Fraser really was annoying, come to think of it, but Ray loved that about him. He loved that Benton got everyone else rolling their eyes while Ray could just sit through it all with a sort of ignorance like he'd managed to build up some defence against it all, not even allowing the ridiculousness offend him. Yeah, he could safely say he liked every bit of Fraser, even when the Mountie was pissing him off.
When the question of first dates arrives, Ray's mouth opens as he goes to answer, then snaps shut again as he sees the lifted hand. Probably for the best. He hadn't even considered the answer and had no idea what he would have said.
And okay, so maybe they had been on a few dates. A lot of dates. Maybe all those times they'd sat and scoffed pizza late at night, or the times they'd gone out to diners, or enjoyed one another's company on late night stakeouts... maybe they were all dates. They certainly would have been considered so by most if Ray had been doing so with a female. You go out to dinner with a female frequently for years and people assume you're dating. Do it with a partner, especially a Mountie, and they think you're just 'good friends'. So maybe they were more than good friends. Maybe.
But first dates did had traditions and conditions and Ray really should know Fraser's going to stick to never putting on on first dates. Of course he would. And-- wait, is he insinuating he wants to put out? That they both... That's more than the mere suggestion of a kiss. And yet isn't that a natural progression?]
So maybe this is more like a hundredth date or somethin'. I mean, we already done the wining and dining enough, right? We're all good in tradition's eyes, I reckon. We can kiss whatever way we want.
[Ray can play along with the suggestive game just fine, thank you.]